The Clutter Princess » gift ideas

Organizing Tools for the Recession

janice — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:23:22 +0000

I held my annual Organizing Expo last week at work. In addition to my regular slate of office supply vendors, I had a “recession” table to show off items you can re-purpose into organizing tools. The most popular item on the recession table was the tissue box I used as a plastic bag holder. Everyone loved the idea.

Other ideas from the recession table:

Use a wine rack as a magazine rack or towel holder. This works perfectly in a guest bath during a party.

Spiral-bound index cards can be used as a holiday gift list. Use one page per person and scribble down ideas and sizes.

Use a weekly planner as a food and exercise journal.

Create your own recipe book by using a binder and a bunch of plastic sleeves. Tape all of those recipes onto paper and slide them into the pages. Divide your book into sections with a divider.

Saving Money on Gifts

janice — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:32:24 +0000

The news today said we were in a recession and had been for a year. It’s no surprise to the rest of us who’ve been living in the trenches. With the holidays upon us, people are stressing about spending money during the holidays.

Here are a few tips to save a few bucks:

Draw names instead of buying a gift for everyone in your family.
Gather the gift cards you haven’t used and use them to buy gifts.
If you have a gift card that you won’t use, sell it on the web, such as www.GiftCardBuyBack.com, www.plasticjungle.com, and www.cardavenue.com, just to name a few out there. Do your research.
Use your talents and make coupons as gifts. For example, offer babysitting services for busy parents or make dinner for a culinary-challenged friend. Get creative!
Instead of buying gifts for friends, spend time together. Everyone can bring a favorite dish and dish the dirt.